Crucible's Nine Days
by Swallows Fly as Free as a Bird
Summary: Nine oneshots all about the nine days Daryl got himself lost in the woods. Fluffy second grade couples Caryl, Lori/Rick Shane/Andrea Maggie/Glenn AU


"Daryl... Daryl Dixon... Dixon..." Her dull voice drawled, lagging on the the a's and i's of his name. A couple girls giggled from the back, a paper airplane flying across the room before smacking into the chalkboard behind the old woman. She tapped her pen against her horned-rim glasses that hid her small, beady eyes as she checked off names. She was about to dully call out his name again when the new student, Maggie Greene, raised her little hand inquisitively.

"Mrs. Crucible." The old woman was too busy thinking about what to cook for dinner and what to say to her husband, Harold about being served those divorce papers. A divorce at this age? The old bastard was out of his mind. "Mrs. Crucible?" Her neck craned upward, her eyes narrowing to get a better look of the short haired brunette when the bell rang to signal class had started. Her face dropped and crinkled in annoyance, glancing around the little Greene girl to the rest of the rowdy class.

Shane Walsh, Rick Grimes and Morgan sat at the back left side of the room towards the wall, away from the windows. Carol, Andrea, Michonne and Lori sat around Maggie in their little group. Meanwhile Glenn, Ed and "T-Dogg" as he called himself- Thomas Duane Richards was his real name- were at the far side by the windows. The old woman glared at all of them, slapping her ruler against her hardwood desk and quieting the whole class with the hard SLAP of the plastic ruler. One half of the ruler snapped off and flew at their desks, landing on Daryl Dixon's empty seat that was besides Rick. The Grimes boy inched away from the ruler piece in terror, unsure of what to say.

"Settle down now! Now, Margaret, what is it you want?" She croaked, the little girl was cowering at her recent display with the ruler but managed to meek out what she was going to say.

"I-I don't think Daryl is here today.." She stammered in fear as Mrs. Crucible wobbled over to Maggie with the half of the ruler and then slammed it on her desk, making a loud crack that echoed in the silence of the classroom of terrified second graders.

"What. Did. You. Say?" Mrs. Crucible's voice was deathly stern, leaning over the little girl with her hawk like eyes about to eat up her prey. Maggie swallowed some saliva with a horrified gulp, unsure of what to say when Glenn raised his hand to help Maggie out. The old woman shot her head to her right, glaring at the small Asian with all fierceness as she backed off Maggie's desk.

"She said Daryl Dixon is not here Mrs. Crucible." She cackled at his confidence, nodding to herself in thought as she then turned on her heels to face the board. With her back to the class, Maggie glanced at her savior and flashed a thankful smile to Glenn. His heart fluttered, unsure of how to deal with girls as he waved his hands in the air stupidly in reply. Maggie inched back a bit, raising a brow and making a face of being creeped out when Shane, Lori and Andrea laughed at the whole scene.

The chalk then made a horrible screeching noise to a halt, the whole class cringing at the terrible sound as Mrs. Crucible slowly turned to face the class. Her face contorted to pure anger, her milky and wrinkly skin on her face flushing beet red as her eyes magnified largely due to her glasses and gave her a monster's face you only see in stories.

"Who laughed in my classroom? Shall I call your parents and make each one of your miserable little lives worse? Do you just think you can insult my teachings with your stupid and idiotic laughter? What are you? A bunch of 9 year olds?" A silence. Just then Merle grinned cockily and raised his hand boldly, Mrs. Crucible grinning and exposing her sharp teeth in a cruel smile as she then called on him.

"Why Mrs. Crucible, y'all are teachin' a second grade class full of 9 year olds." Everyone facepalmed and knew the trouble Merle had just put them in, the whole class turning around to glare back at the confident 10 year old who had stayed back the second grade. Mrs. Crucible returned to writing her teachings, assigning extra homework as punishment. "To add excitement to their miserable, useless lives" as she lightheartedly put it. Carol wondered where Daryl was, he may be late sometimes, but not show up? Merle was here.

_Meanwhile_

"Stupid dad. Stupid asshole. I'll just run away and never come back. No one will care any way." He stumbled as he traveled through the woods on his own, pushing away any bushes and branches that got in his way. He continued on stomping through the woods like that for the whole day until he realized today was a school day.

"Shit. Shit. Shit. Mrs. Crucible will have my ass for not comin'. Serves her right, bitch." The little 9 year old, cussing boy mumbled angrily as he kicked at the rocks at his feet. Tiredly, he took a short break at a downed tree and thought further on his plans to run away.

"Gotta get outta here, that's for sure. Just run. Maybe to Disney World, in Florida, live in the big ol' castle with Minnie 'nd Mickey. They'll love me." He cracked a smile at the thought of finally meeting Mickey, imagining his little hands wrapping around Mickey's waist in a tight embrace filled with real love, finally knowing the feeling of being appreciated. Imagining himself looking into the proud mouse's eyes as Minnie and the princesses all take him to Neverland and royalty.

He envisioned himself flying, taking Tinkerbell's hand and flying away from his real life to a new one. Where he could rule with mermaids under the sea, or fight dragons and save the damsel in the tower like in the stories. He could become his own hero, fight the horrible monster called his father, save himself and Merle, and live forever young as a legendary hero. If only it was that easy for the young Dixon.

* * *

_Hey there! :) this will be nine little oneshots about the nine days Daryl went missing when he was about 9 or 10. It is alternate universe, but with fluffy Caryl, Glenn/Maggie, Lori/Rick, Shane/Andrea and all of them as little kids. So, enjoy! :)_


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